Bengaluru, Sept 8 (PTI) Karnataka has nearly 27.3 GW of renewable energy capacity and about 70 per cent of its electricity requirement is being met through renewable sources, state Energy Minister K J George said on Tuesday.
He asserted that the state is committed to expanding clean energy infrastructure and attracting investment.
Addressing the Bengaluru leg of the roadshow for the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit and Expo 2026, George said Karnataka was already a major producer and innovator in the clean energy sector and was looking beyond conventional solar and wind projects to battery storage, pumped storage, green hydrogen, electric mobility and smart grids.
“The renewable energy transition is no longer only an environmental imperative; it has become an important driver for economic growth, industrial development, technological innovation, employment, and energy security,” George said.
He said Karnataka had more than 11.5 GW of solar and 8.5 GW of wind capacity, while the development of the green energy corridor was strengthening the state’s ability to integrate renewable power into the electricity system.
“Our message to the industry is very clear: Karnataka is open for clean energy investment, innovation, and partnership,” he said.
George invited investors and industry leaders to invest in the state, saying, “Come to Karnataka, invest in Karnataka, innovate in Karnataka, partner with Karnataka.” The Bharat Renewable Energy Summit and Expo 2026 will be held from November 2 to 5 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
The event is being organised alongside the ninth General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance and the fourth International Conference on Green Hydrogen.
The minister said energy storage would be critical as the share of variable renewable energy increased and Karnataka’s objective was to build a “flexible, reliable, resilient, and future-ready clean energy system.” Speaking to reporters later, George said Karnataka’s total electricity demand was around 18,000 MW and about 70 per cent was being met from renewable sources, including wind, solar and hydro.
“We do not have much of a problem during the daytime. Our problem is during peak hours. We need storage capacity,” he said, adding that the state was taking steps towards battery storage and pumped-storage projects.
On concerns over power shortages amid deficient rainfall, George said there had been no cut in electricity supply to irrigation pumpsets so far.
“So far, we have not cut power to irrigation pumpsets,” he said.
George said Karnataka had borrowed power from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana under a barter arrangement and would return the power by September.
The state was also trying to purchase electricity from the power exchange whenever required, he said, while acknowledging that availability on the exchange could sometimes be an issue.
On the re-verification of beneficiaries under the Gruha Jyoti guarantee offering 200 units of free power to household connection, George said around 65 to 70 per cent of the exercise had been completed after the government extended the deadline by another month.
He dismissed concerns that beneficiaries were being forced to submit PAN cards, saying some consumers had voluntarily opted out of the benefit.
“We cannot force them to take the benefit. We will provide it to those who need it,” he said.
On BESCOM’s financial position, George said the power utility, which had suffered losses earlier, was now in profit.
“The good news now is that BESCOM had suffered some losses last time. This time, it is in profit,” he said.
Rejecting the suggestion that the improvement was solely due to the government’s guarantee schemes, George credited BESCOM officials and employees with improving efficiency and shifting from costly funds to cheaper sources of finance.
He also defended BESCOM’s decision to raise loans, saying the state owned power company had a turnover of several thousand crore rupees and did not receive budgetary support from the state government.
“If we borrow money and use it to create assets, we can repay the loan from those assets,” he said. PTI GMS ROH
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